Physician Practices Joining Early ACOs Were Large and Capable, but Performance Was Modest

By 2020, a projected 68 million people will be enrolled in an accountable care organization (ACO), a care model in which groups of doctors, hospitals, and other health care providers work together to coordinate care for patients. While ACOs seek to address rising health care costs and inconsistent quality of care, evidence of savings achieved is limited, and ACOs’ performance has varied widely. In the American Journal of Managed Care, Commonwealth Fund–supported researchers explore the characteristics of physician practices that intended to join Medicare ACO programs in 2012.